Finally, we were heading south. Due to our dog Youma's little accident, our journey south was delayed by almost ten days. We were already a good distance further south, in the Sierra Mariolato make a short stopover for a hike. The hills of the Sierra Mariola are located to the north of Alicante and the highest mountains rise to almost 1200 metres above sea level. It's a quiet area and great for long hikes. However, we had the misfortune of Youma catching a stinger in his eye. The stinger had to be removed by surgery, so we had to return to Valencia after two days. Click here for the Contribution about Youma's operation.

Relaxing at Devesa Gardens campsite

We set ourselves up on a nice campsite, the Devesa Gardens. It is located just south of Valencia, in the centre of L'Albufera Nature Park. However, Valencia can still be reached from here in just over half an hour by bus. We felt quite at home here. We were able to look after little Youma and we had a safe place in our camper pitch where she was shielded from other dogs or distractions. We wanted her to have some peace and quiet and rest her eye after the operation.

In the Parque Natural de la Murta

In between, we took advantage of the time and made a short detour to the Parque Natural de la Murta. Masou and I used the time here for a "man's day" and went hiking in the mountains together. Click here for the article about the hike. We parked our camper overnight in a fairly secluded hikers' car park at the foot of the valley. Hardly any other tourists, mostly just hikers on a day trip. This was the first time we had no internet reception in this remote corner. A very pleasant experience at times.

The Parque Regional de Cabo Cope y Puntas

We waited spellbound for a long week for Youma's follow-up examination. We were delighted that everything was OK, and so we finally got back on the motorway south. After an overnight stay on the outskirts of Sax, we arrived the next day at the Parque Regional de Cabo Cope y Puntasnorth of Águilas. The approximately 17 kilometre long stretch of coast between Águilas and Lorca is virtually undeveloped. It is one of the last unspoilt stretches of coastline on the Spanish Mediterranean. Surrounded by hills, there are some very beautiful stretches of beach and bays here. The water is crystal clear and inviting for snorkelling and the contrasts between the yellow sandstone cliffs and the grey-black sand or pebble beach are impressive. Moorish tortoise, Bonelli's eagle, Peregrine falcon and Desert trumpeter are at home here, as well as tree snakes, dwarf palms and Phoenician juniper. The hinterland is intensively cultivated. Vegetable plantations for tomatoes and lettuce are lined up here.

The commitment of the environmentalists

Conservationists, including the WWF, have been fighting for around 30 years to preserve this stretch of coast as it is today. In 1973, plans to build a nuclear power plant here were made under Franco's dictatorship. This was averted back then, but the plans remained. There were also plans to build Europe's largest holiday resort, Marina de Cope, with 9,000 flats, 20,000 hotel beds, five golf courses and a marina. Environmentalists took legal action against the project. The WWF and the environmental organisation Anse bought 500,000 euros worth of land themselves to prevent the area from falling into the hands of investment funds. With success. In December 2012, the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that Marina de Cope would remain a nature reserve and could not be built on (source: costanachrichten.com).